As a creative, you’re likely to come across the feeling of being out of your depth. Here are our tips for dealing with Imposter Syndrome, so you never pass up golden opportunities again!

It’s not just isolated to creative endeavours. Imposter Syndrome can creep into the minds of everyone, regardless of their career or passions. It can be manageable, if you know how to deal with it. But, it can also get in the way of you taking on new and exciting challenges, or stop you from pushing your creative limits.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

According to Verywell Mind, Imposter Syndrome (IS) refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. Often, it relates to intelligence and achievement, but also has links to perfectionism and social context.

Someone experiencing IS may feel like a fraud, and like they do not deserve to be in the position they are in. They also might fail to see or understand their talents, skills, or assets, and feel they have to got where they are purely by chance.

Imposter Syndrome can be a real hindrance to someone working in a creative sphere. When sharing your art, you need to be open to being vulnerable, as creating is often such a personal experience. Also, if you’re surrounded by other discerning creatives, you might feel added pressure to produce something “perfect” or of super high quality. In this instance, you might not believe yourself able to do that.

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

It’s hard to hear, but taking yourself out of your comfort zone is one of the best ways to progress. The scarier option tends to be the one that pays off the most. After all, if something isn’t hard then it isn’t worth doing. BUT… Imposter Syndrome can stamp out any motivational self talk you might have been about to give yourself. It can lead you to shying away from scary but amazing opportunities, and stay firmly hunkered down in your comfort zone.

Here are our top tips for defeating Imposter Syndrome, and making sure you keep growing as a creative!

Recognise IS

As soon as you are able to identify imposter thoughts and feelings, you are able to differentiate them from your rational thoughts. Once you’ve done this, you open up the possibility of overcoming them.

Be Fair

Remind yourself, when negative thoughts creep in, that it’s totally normal to not know everything about something. There’s no such thing as completing or fully perfecting a skill, and you’re always on a journey of development.

Be a Friend

If one of your friends came to you and told you they feel like a big fat phony, what would you tell them? You wouldn’t agree with them and tell them their days are numbered, would you? You’d probably reassure them, and list all their fantastic qualities. Try being a friend to yourself, and telling yourself the same.

Quiet the Mind

It’s all too common for overthinking to lead to self sabotage. Someone experiencing IS will likely have a busy mind, over analysing situations and rationalising why they’re undeserving of the position they find themselves in. Trying to calm your thoughts and taking a breather can help clear the fog, and let you see reason once more. Apps like Headspace or Calm are perfect for speedy meditation.

Fail Faster

A big part of Imposter Syndrome is the fear of failing. In a cut-throat, competitive world, it can often feel like there’s no room for failure. But, failing also means learning. No expert got to where they are without making some mistakes along the way. By failing, you’re learning important lessons sooner, leading to you becoming a pro faster. Reframing your creative development in this way can help to quell feelings of Imposter Syndrome.